Every profession has its superpowers and public procurement has more than a few. But there’s one hidden talent that’s especially handy: being resourceful. It’s part of the reason Gary O. Chavez, Bureau Chief, Chief Procurement Officer in the Human Services Department at the State of New Mexico, has found so much success in his career. 17 years ago, he transitioned from a career in education to what he calls a “second life” in public procurement. In just a few years, he climbed a steep learning curve to head up procurement for the second-largest agency in the State of New Mexico. In this conversation with Bonfire host Rachel Friesen, Gary shares his advice for early career professionals on how to use curiosity, learning, and resourcefulness to succeed in public procurement. And he lets us in on a little secret: true success in procurement isn’t about knowing everything, but knowing where to find it. Get in touch with Gary at [email protected] You can find this interview, and many more, by subscribing to Inside Public Procurement on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or gobonfire.com/podcast. Listening on a desktop and can’t see the links? Just search for Inside Public Procurement in your favorite podcast player.